PLEASANTON -- A San Francisco man was arrested on kidnapping charges Monday after the frightened victim flagged down a woman in a Wal-Mart restroom, police said.

Brent Kipp, 25, was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and making terrorist threats after driving away with his estranged girlfriend during a lover's spat and threatening to kill her, authorities said.

The woman, whose name was not released, got in the car at her South San Francisco home after agreeing to talk with Kipp, but after a few minutes he refused her requests to take her home and instead drove onto the freeway and out of the city, said Pleasanton police Lt. Brian Laurence. The suspect told the woman he would hurt her or kill her if she tried to escape, and said he intended to take her out of state, authorities said.

Just after 11 p.m., Kipp pulled off Interstate 580 in Pleasanton to get candy from the Wal-Mart at 4501 Rosewood Drive, Laurence said. When he discovered the store was closed, he asked if they could each use the restroom, to which a staff member agreed.

About 11:20 p.m., a Wal-Mart employee called 911 to report that a customer in the women's restroom had been flagged down by the victim, who was hiding, and said she had been kidnapped, Laurence said.

According to Laurence, the suspect initially tried to walk away from officers as they spotted him standing alone in front of the store. After refusing multiple orders and resisting officers' attempts to arrest him, the man was eventually wrestled to the ground and detained.

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Kipp was arrested and booked into Santa Rita Jail, Laurence said. He was also charged with possession of methamphetamines, marijuana and paraphernalia after police said a search of his car turned up the various drugs.

The woman was returned to her home, where she is safe with her family, Laurence said.

"We would like to thank Wal-Mart staff for their help, and for contacting police," Laurence said. "We are very appreciative. They saved this woman from a very potentially tragic circumstance."